Now in its 22nd year, HAAPIFest is Houston’s leading film festival showcasing Asian American and Pacific Islander stories. Our mission is to elevate AAPI voices through the power of film, spark meaningful dialogue around identity and diversity, and build bridges between communities. HAAPIFest features narrative films, documentaries, shorts, panels, and special events designed to inspire, educate, and entertain.
2026 FILM SCHEDULE
Come enjoy a FILM FESTIVAL full of meaningful films in our industry. Lots of food, fun, meet film directors, producers and film business professionals.
Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details! We can't wait to share the magic of Asian American cinema with you!
For the month of May, enjoy 25% OFF all HAAPIFEST PASSES with promo code:
🎟️ Code: HAAPI25
⚠️ Discount applies to PASSES only. Single film tickets sold separately.
2026 ONLINE FILM SCHEDULE
Thanks to our awesome filmmaker we are allowed to screen so many films and showcase AANHPI untold stories.
All online films will be available on demand. Please note: some films will have restrictions.
Also note, some films available in person are not available online and some films are available online but not in person.
For the month of May, enjoy 25% OFF all HAAPIFEST PASSES with promo code:
🎟️ Code: HAAPI25
⚠️ Discount applies to PASSES only. Single film tickets sold separately.
Thank you for your continuous support.
light of the setting Sun (june 7)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | Texas Premiere | Mandarin, English | 74 minutes
In Light of the Setting Sun, a Taiwanese-American filmmaker turns the camera inward — questioning her own family’s silence around cycles of violence that trace back to the Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949.
Rather than offering easy answers, the film invites audiences to sit with what remains unsaid — and to reflect on how history lives within us.
📅 June 7, 2026 | 3:30 PM
📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Westchase
📍 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX
Light of the Setting Sun is directed by Vicky Du, a queer Taiwanese-American filmmaker based in Berlin and New York.
Du’s work is known for its emotional depth and artistic approach to storytelling, blending personal narrative with broader historical context.
🎟️ Read more:
👉 www.HAAPIFEST.org
southeast asian american journey (June 7, 2026)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | Texas Premiere | English, Lao, Bunong, Vietnamese, Hmong, Mien, Khmer | 70 minutes
This five-part docu-series shares the real stories of Southeast Asian refugee communities — shaped by their journeys, and now shaping the communities around them.
🎬 Directed by Quyên Nguyen-Le, Joua Lee Grande, and Oanh-Nhi Nguyen
📅 June 7, 2026 | 1:30 PM
📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Westchase
📍 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX
🎞️ Also screening: Dear Watsonville; A moving tribute to the Filipino “manong” generation and their legacy.
Produced in partnership with Southeast Asia Resource Action Center and Center for Asian American Media.
🎟️ Read more:
👉 www.HAAPIFEST.org
before the moon falls (June 7, 2026)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | Texas Premiere | English, Samoan | 101 minutes
After a diagnosis of mental illness, acclaimed Samoan writer Sia Figiel embarks on a path toward healing, but it comes at an unspeakable cost.
📅 June 7, 2026 | 11:15 AM
📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Westchase
📍 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX
🎬 Directed by Kimberlee Bassford
Award-winning filmmaker Kimberlee Bassford is known for amplifying the voices of Asian American and Pacific Islander women through powerful, deeply human storytelling.
🎟️ Read more:
👉 www.HAAPIFEST.org
Some connections change everything. 🎥
The Auntie Sewing Squad Resistance Playbook (June 6, 2026)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | Texas Premiere | English | 72 minutes
At the height of the pandemic, the Auntie Sewing Squad — a collective of mostly BIPOC women — came together to sew and donate masks to communities in need.
But this wasn’t just about masks. It was about care, resistance, and showing up for each other.
📅 June 6, 2026 | 1:30 PM
📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Westchase
📍 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX
🎤 Meet & Greet with director Valerie Soe
Director Valerie Soe is an award-winning filmmaker and professor whose work explores race, identity, and Asian American experiences. With decades of groundbreaking films shown worldwide, she brings both artistic vision and powerful social insight to this story.
🎟️ Read more:
👉 www.HAAPIFEST.org
Ky Nam Inn (Quán Kỳ Nam) (June 6, 2026)
NARRATIVE FEATURE | Texas Premiere | Vietnamese | 140 minutes
Set in Saigon, 1985, a young translator rising through the ranks of Vietnam’s new regime, is tasked with translating The Little Prince. Everything changes when he meets Ky Nam, the reserved widow next door.
A story of love, identity, and the moments that change us forever.
📅 June 6, 2026 | 7:00 PM
📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Westchase
📍 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX
🎬 Directed by Leon Le: Vietnamese-American filmmaker Leon Le is known for his poetic storytelling and exploration of identity and human connection. His acclaimed debut Song Lang won over 50 international awards, and his work has been featured in more than 100 film festivals worldwide.
🎟️ Read more:
👉 www.HAAPIFEST.org
Some connections change everything. 🎥
The never list (June 6, 2026)
NARRATIVE FEATURE | English | 102 minutes
After the sudden and tragic loss of her best friend, a straight-A, rule-following teen finds her carefully structured world turned upside down. In the wake of heartbreak, she uncovers a secret list — a collection of bold, rebellious, and “never-ever” actions the two friends once promised they’d never do.
Now, faced with loss and uncertainty, she sets out to complete the list — one daring step at a time.
📅 June 6, 2026 | 10:45 AM
📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Westchase
📍 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX
🎥 Directed by Michelle Mower
An award-winning filmmaker, Michelle Mower has created films for theaters, streaming platforms, and major networks — with a strong focus on bold female-driven stories and breaking expectations.
🎟️ Read more:
👉 www.HAAPIFEST.org
DIAMOND DIPLOMACY (may 31 2026)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | Texas Premiere | English, Japanese | 86 mins
In partnership with ITO EN
Film. Culture. Flavor.
Join us for DIAMOND DIPLOMACY — a powerful documentary exploring how baseball became a bridge between nations — featuring legends like Babe Ruth and Shohei Ohtani.
In partnership with ITO EN, enjoy a delicious matcha latte or smoothie made with premium green tea powders — vibrant in taste and packed with powerful health benefits.
🎥 A story that connects cultures
🍵 A drink that refreshes the moment
📅 May 31, 2026 | 7:00 PM
🎤 Meet and Greet with Producer and Director Yuriko Gamo Romer & Nisei Baseball Research Project (NBRP) President Kerry Yo Nakagawa.
🎟️ Read more:
👉 www.HAAPIFEST.org
Come for the film. Stay for the experience.
MAY THE SOIL BE EVERYWHERE (May 31, 2026)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | Texas Premiere | Mandarin | 93 mins
What do we leave behind… when we leave home?
In a remote village on China’s Loess Plateau, one family survived war, revolution, and famine — before being scattered by time and change. Now, filmmaker Yehui Zhao returns to uncover a story buried in memory, land, and legacy.
🌾 A poetic journey through identity, ancestry, and belonging
✨ Quiet. Powerful. Deeply human.
📅 May 31, 2026 | 1:45 PM
📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Westchase
📍 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX
🎤 Meet & Greet with director Yehui Zhao
An award-winning filmmaker and artist, Zhao’s work explores themes of decolonization, heritage, and collective memory. Her debut feature premiered at the True/False Film Festival and received a Special Mention Jury Award at DokuFest.
🎟️ Read more:
👉www.HAAPIFEST.org
Some stories are rooted in the soil — waiting to be remembered.
ISLE CHILD (may 31 2026)
NARRATIVE FEATURE | Texas Premiere | English, Korean | 87 mins
What would you do if your past came calling?
A Korean American adoptee discovers a hidden letter — his birth mother is dying. Now, he must choose between the life he built… or the truth he left behind.
💔 A powerful story of identity, adoption, and belonging
✨ Emotional. Intimate. Unforgettable.
📅 May 31, 2026 | 1:30 PM
🎥 Texas Premiere
🎤 Meet & Greet with director Thomas Percy Kim
🎟️ Read more:
👉 www.HAAPIFEST.org
Some stories don’t let you go — until you face them.
MOLOKA’I BOUND (May 30, 2026)
NARRATIVE FEATURE | Texas Premiere | English, Pidgin English, 'Ōlelo Hawai'i | 112 mins
Can you really start over?
After years behind bars, Kainoa returns home to Hawai‘i determined to rebuild his life — and reconnect with the son he left behind. But redemption isn’t easy… especially when the past won’t let go.
A powerful story of fatherhood, identity, and second chances.
📅 May 30, 2026 | 7:00 PM
🎥 Texas Premiere
🎤 Meet & Greet with director Alika Tengan
🎟️ Read more:
👉 www.HAAPIFEST.org
Come experience a story of healing, culture, and what it truly means to come home.
LOVE CHAOS KIN (may 30, 2026)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | Texas Premiere | English, Tamil | 98 mins
What defines a family?
This powerful documentary follows an Indian immigrant mother and her adopted twin daughters as they navigate an unexpected pregnancy — and a journey to reconnect with their White birth mother and estranged Native American father.
✨ Raw. Emotional. Unfiltered.
A story about identity, belonging, and the ties that shape us.
📅 May 30, 2026 | 4:00 PM
🎥 Texas Premiere
🎤 Meet & Greet with director Chithra Jeyaram
🎟️ Read more:
👉 www.HAAPIFEST.org
Come for the film. Stay for the conversation.
THE A LIST: 15 STORIES FROM ASIAN & PACIFIC DIASPORAS
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | Southern U.S. Premiere | English, Tagalog, Hmong, Korean | 84 mins
What does it mean to be AAPI today?
This powerful documentary brings together voices like Sandra Oh, Kumail Nanjiani, Connie Chung, Tammy Duckworth, and Amanda Nguyen — sharing real stories of identity, resilience, and belonging.
✨ Honest. Powerful. Unfiltered.
A film about navigating culture, community, and what it truly means to be seen.
📅 May 30, 2026 | 11:15 AM
🎥 Southern U.S. Premiere
🎤 Includes Meet & Greet with director Eugene Yi
🎟️ Read more:
👉 www.HAAPIFEST.org/tickets
Co-sponsored by APAHA.